


It Looks Like Failure

by Pawprinter



Series: Prompt Fills [15]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/M, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 14:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18152966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pawprinter/pseuds/Pawprinter
Summary: Zuko works for his uncle's tea shop and claims to have perfected latte art. When Katara - a student from the local university - visits the café, he finds out he was most definitely wrong.





	It Looks Like Failure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [teeandrainbows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/gifts).



> This is a prompt fill for the wonderful [princessechoblake](http://princessechoblake.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. They gave me the prompt of a modern Zutara AU, based off a prompt by izupie (the prompt was “[I make killer latte art, except on your drink because you’re kind of gorgeous and you’re watching me make it and oh god my hand always shakes and makes it look awful. I am good at this usually I swear!](https://izupie.tumblr.com/post/167568654178/i-actually-work-in-a-coffee-shop-and-i-came-up)”)
> 
> Thank you for the prompt! I had a ton of fun writing this fic.
> 
> This is my first Zutara fic, so the characters aren’t as defined as I would like them to be! I adore this ship to the moon and back, so I had sooooo much fun writing this. Here’s to more Zutara fics in the future!
> 
> Enjoy!

Zuko flipped the dish cloth over his shoulder and leaned against the countertop, his eyes scanning the customers scattered around the café.

He seen some regulars over by the window, both of them with their computers out and typing away. There was a small family off to the side, and the children were climbing on and off of the sofa while their parents drank lattes he just made for them. Then, there was the regular crowd of students scattered over the rest of the tables. Most had books out, others were scrolling on their phones.

Jasmine Dragon, the coffee shop where he worked, was owned by his uncle. Well, actually, it was a _tea_ shop, but who wanted to go to a café with _that_ as their specialty? _Not Zuko, that was for sure._ He’d never understand why anyone would enjoy sucking on some dirty leaf water.

He’d worked there for years now, ever since he graduated and needed a full-time job. It was supposed to just be for the summer, to get enough money to pay for the upcoming school year. Then, that turned into a semester.

Now? Now, it had been over two years. Life didn’t always go as planned, Zuko discovered. His family disowned him for speaking out against what they believed him. His uncle took him in, which he was grateful for, but his life plans had changed.

He still dreamed of going to university to study government and politics, but that seemed far away now. Right now, he had to focus on earning enough money to pay his bills. He hadn’t thought about saving for school in a long time.

Plus, he enjoyed what he did. He enjoyed watching his uncle be successful and do what he loved. Like him, his uncle never truly belonged with his family. He was different; lighter, and kinder, and had dreams as high as the clouds. The two of them together – that was something he never would’ve guessed when he was younger. It was poetic, in a sense.

He stepped behind the counter when he determined there wasn’t anything left for him to do. Usually there would be a big rush around three, both when a class slot finished at the university and people got off of work.

While it wasn’t exactly a busy day, it wasn’t a slow day either. All of the tables were filled, but the foot traffic was low.

Zuko reached for a mug and poured espresso into it. If he had some down time, he should be working on the one thing he was actually good at. While his uncle was a pro at making tea, he wasn’t. He _was_ good at latte art though.

He wouldn’t have ever considered himself an artist, but after spending _years_ working in the coffee shop, most times there so late that the street lights had already flickered on and the room was empty, he considered himself decent at it.

He stuck to leaves mainly. He attempted a heart once for Mai, but by the time he felt it was perfected enough, the latte was cold. He hadn’t attempted that again.

Just as he was going to start pouring the cream, the bell above the door chimed. His eyes flicked to the door and he felt the breath get knocked from his lungs.

_She was gorgeous._

The woman walking in was dressed in a baggy blue sweater and grey jeans. His eyes instantly zeroed in on the emblem across the fabric; it was the emblem for the university just down the street. He didn’t need to be a genius to figure out she was a university student. If it wasn’t because of the emblem, it was because of the armful of books she was carrying.

Her brown hair was swept back into a braid, with two pieces hung loose in front of her face. And her eyes – _her eyes –_ were so blue that they reminded Zuko of the ocean, or the sky, or a spring day. It didn’t even make sense, not really, but he felt like he could stare at those eyes for hours and never grow tired.

It wasn’t just how they looked that captivated him either – it was the stories they held. While he didn’t know her, he was always taught that eyes were the windows to the soul. And her eyes? They were kind. They seemed to sparkle with mirth, like she just told a good joke. They seemed to have such an interesting history to tell, and he wanted to listen to it all.

His mouth was dry by the time she approached the counter. Immediately, he dropped his gaze to the numbers at the till, trying to clear the haze that settled over his mind. He tried his best to fight the blush too; did she see him staring at her? Probably. He wasn’t exactly hiding the fact he couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked in.

_She was stunning._

“Uhm.” He shook his head slightly and bit the side of his cheek. “Hi.” He cleared his throat. “Hello. Zuko here.”

He cringed at that. _Oh no. Please tell me I didn’t say that out loud._

He, apparently, _did_ say it out loud. The girl lifted her eyebrow and smiled. It sent a warmth through him, sending butterflies flying in his stomach again. His heart was racing and he didn’t know why – she was just a girl – just a customer.

Still, it felt like he had been running for hours. She stole his breath.

“Hi.” Her eyes scanned the board above his head. He studied her face for a brief moment. She either was a good actor and too kind to let him know he was being awkward, or she never noticed. _He really hoped she didn’t notice_. “Do you have a specialty here? It’s my first time.”

He snorted and the words rolled off his tongue without much thoguht. “Not the tea.”

She smiled widely at that. “This is the Jasmine Dragon _,_ isn’t it? Like… a _tea_ shop?”

“Well, yeah. But tea is… well, boring.” And disgusting. He read a post online about how tea was just bathwater from tea leaves _and they weren’t wrong._ “We have other things, too. Coffee, hot chocolate, cappuccinos, lattes.” He glanced down at the mug in his hands. “That’s my specialty, I guess.”

Her eyes lit up. “Lattes?”

 _Oh no. No, no, no._ “Uhm. Yes?”

“Your specialty is lattes?” she pressed further.

It felt like he was already in too deep. While it wasn’t a lie, lattes were the things he was best at, he wouldn’t necessarily say it was a _specialty_ of the shop. He barely perfected a _leaf_ for latte art.

“Yes?” He cleared his throat. Yeah. It was. It _could_ be, anyways. He’d just have to sell it and follow through. Not hard, right? (Wrong.) “I do latte art, if you’re interested?”

_Why? Why would he say that?_

She smiled wider. He squished the feelings of regretting offering latte art. It was worth it, if only to see her wide smile. “Definitely interested.” She pursed her lips slightly and brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes. “I’d love that actually.”

Zuko was already reaching for a disposable cup and the marker. It was policy of the tea shop to write the customer’s name on the side of the cup. His uncle claimed that a lot of weight was given to a name, and they should come to learn regulars’ names.

“Name?”

“Katara.”

 _Katara._ It suited her. It was unique and beautiful in a simple way, like she was. He shook himself at that thought. _He needed to get it together._  

“But I’ll take it in a reusable cup, if you have?” She looked a little bashful. “It’s just, I’m going to be staying here for a while and all, so there isn’t need for extra waste.”

He smiled. “Sounds good.” He glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t think there’s a free table right now, but…”

She quickly looked over her shoulder and groaned. “You’re right.” She turned back to him, her lips pressed thinly together. “I can take it in a to-go cup then.”

“No.” He answered before he could really think about what he was saying. He grimaced. “I mean, it’s okay. It’s close to three, which means Ty Lee will be leaving soon.” He gestured to one of the regulars close to the window. He knew that she had class starting at 3:15pm, which meant she would be leaving any second.

Katara looked impressed. “You know all your customers, then?”

“Just the regulars.” Was the room warm? Zuko felt like the room was warm. Just talking to her made him nervous. “My uncle likes when we have a connection with the customers.”

“Your uncle?” Her eyebrows were raised. Realization dawned on her. “Your uncle owns the shop?”

“Yeah.” Zuko couldn’t stop smiling at that. He was proud of Iroh for coming so far with his business.

“I met him before,” she admitted. “My friend Toph loves this place and loves your uncle.”

“Toph?” She was another regular customer of his. “You’re friends with her? She’s awesome.”

“I know.”

Zuko turned back to the cash register and punched in her order. “You’re welcome to wait while I make your latte?”

“Sure.” She dropped her books onto the edge of the counter and flexed her hand, wincing a bit.

Zuko pulled a mug from the shelf. As he began filling it with espresso, he glanced at Katara over his shoulder. “You’re a student?”

“What gave it away?” she teased, glancing down at her sweater. “What about you? A student?”

“No, actually. This is it.” He didn’t mean to make it sound so sour – it just came out that way. He sucked in his cheeks. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he corrected quickly. He didn’t want her to think he hated working for his uncle, or that he was miserable. _He wasn’t._ “I love working here. Lots of interesting people, lots of things to do. I just _hope_ to get to university someday.” He wanted to fade into the darkness. Why was he telling her all of this? She really didn’t care.

“You’ll get there one day,” she assured him. “What do you want to study?”

“Government,” he answered automatically.

She smirked. “No hesitation there, I see.” He bit back his words. She came here for a latte, not to hear his life story. “I’m studying environmental impact.”

 _Ah._ That would explain her request for a reusable cup. It wasn’t often that customers worried about things like waste and which cup they got.

“I grew up in the north, along the coast,” she continued. “Most of my life, I was surrounded by nature in some way. The ocean, the forests, the snow. Being in the city is different.” She crunched up her nose for a brief moment.

“You moved here recently then?” Zuko prompted. He picked up the cream and began working on the latte art.

“A few years ago,” she said. “Sokka and I moved away from home for new beginnings. Our grandmother encouraged us to always find a path for ourselves, and, if there wasn’t a path to be found, she always encouraged us to forge that path.” She was smiling softly now. “We forged the path here, together.”

“And Sokka’s your brother?”

Katara straightened up at that. “He is. A pain in the butt half of the time, one of my best friends the other half.” She laughed. “What about you? You’ve always lived in the city?”

“No.” Zuko tried to ignore the way his chest panged with hurt, or how his stomach twisted uncomfortably.

He grew up in a different city altogether. Just like Katara, he only moved here a few years ago. Unlike her, he didn’t come here on his own, or to get a fresh start. He moved here out of necessity.

He didn’t know why, but it felt like he could tell her things. She was a complete stranger, so it really didn’t make sense. But, maybe that was it. Maybe he _could_ tell her things because she was a complete stranger. She was an outsider to his life; someone with a clear and unbiased perspective.

Plus, they were never going to meet again – so what did he have to lose? It wasn’t like she’d be able to judge him, and he wouldn’t have to see her face day after day, knowing that she knew parts of him that most people didn’t.

“I’m not on good terms with my family,” he said slowly. He tried to stop his hand from shaking as he poured the cream. He couldn’t tell if it was because of nerves or anger. Maybe it was a bit of both. “As soon as I was 18, they told me to get out and never come back, not until I learned my lesson and learned respect.” He didn’t realize when, but his voice had grown sharp and hard. He glanced up at Katara, suddenly sheepish. “Sorry.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “No, I get it.” Her smile replaced the bubbling anger with butterflies. “You moved here after that?”

“Yeah.”

“With your uncle?”

“Yeah.”

He set down the cream and glanced at the mug. He hadn’t been paying attention as he poured. It didn’t look even close to an image of anything. Before she could catch onto what he was thinking, he pulled another cup from the shelf and reached for the espresso machine. He’d focus more on this second one. He didn’t want her to think his latte art was bad – not after he claimed it was his speciality.

As he worked, he continued to speak. “I get the whole new beginnings thing and forging new paths, but this doesn’t feel like it.” He pressed his lips together and locked his jaw. “That came out wrong.” Katara didn’t try to interrupt him, so he continued. “This… This city, this job, this life – it’s great, for now, I guess. If I could pick where I wanted to be in life, this isn’t it. If I could wake up one day and be living the life I dreamed of, this wouldn’t be it.

“I love my uncle and I’m so thankful he took me in, but… this is _his_ dream, not mine. I’m happy to be here with him, to help him – and I’m so proud of him, but this isn’t my path. This city isn’t a new beginning for me; it’s like I’m caught in a limbo between my past life and a new one.”

“What would be your path?” Katara wondered. He glanced up at her curiously. “You said that if you woke up tomorrow in your dream life, this wouldn’t be it. What would it be?” She lifted her eyebrows. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“You already know more about me than my father,” Zuko muttered. While his tone was light, there was a dark truth to that statement. Katara must’ve realized this, as her smile faded the slightest bit.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he told her. “It isn’t your fault. You’re just a kind stranger willing to listen to a barista spill his life to you.” She smiled at that, but remained silent. Zuko fell into silence as he thought about what his life would be like. He didn’t know.

It wouldn’t be back with his family. That ship had sailed long ago; he knew he could never be the person they wanted him to be, and he was okay with that. He wanted to be able to be himself and still be loved by them. What kind of relationship would it be if he had to lie about who he was, just so his family would care about him?

He didn’t want to go back home either. Not really. Sure, he missed his friends, and his life, but things never could be the same. He was different. Going back there, to him, was like going back to that life. He didn’t want that.

“I’d want to be here,” Zuko concluded. “In the city. With my uncle.” He glanced at her sweater and the corners of his mouth twitched up. “I’d be studying though, not working here. Like I said, I love my uncle and I love the shop, but-”

“But this isn’t your life,” she concluded.

He felt lighter somehow, like someone else understanding him lifted weights off his shoulders. Someone else agreeing with him and understanding what he was thinking was something he’d lacked for most of his life. Someone understanding him with so few words though – that was something he’d only had once before.

While she might have been a stranger, she listened to him more than his family ever did. She understood him better than his father or his sister – two people that he’d spent years with. That was a lifetime compared to how long he knew Katara for.

 _And her eyes._ They still managed to steal his breath, but he could see so much more in them now. He could see how caring she was, just by how soft her eyes were, and how kind her smile was.  

He nodded his head, bringing him back to the moment. “I want to be growing for me – in the ways that I want. I want to be studying and dreaming of the future. That’s my path.”

Katara smiled. “Well, follow that path then.” She shrugged. “I know it’s not as easy as those words make it seem. There are obstacles in the way – so many obstacles. Words are just words – so when I say to just do it, I know how ridiculous it sounds.”

Zuko locked eyes with her. “And what about you? What’s your path? If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, repeating her words from earlier.

She chewed on her lip for a moment. “I want to help people and the world. There’s so much cruelty and negativity out there – I just want to help contribute to the other side of things. I want to fight for what’s right.” Zuko felt even more impressed by how she spoke. “And the environment – that’s something I know from home.”

“You’re even more impressive than I originally thought,” he teased. He tried to fight down the blush that his words brought. She looked surprised by his admission.

“Impressive, hey?” she echoed. “Well, I don’t know about that, but thanks, Zuko.” She chewed on her lip for a few more moments before speaking again. “And, about your path in life, and things being difficult – you made it this far. You have dreams. You have people who believe in you. You can do it.”

He chuckled darkly. “I have a person who believes in me,” he corrected. “I only have my uncle.”

Katara rocked forward slightly, moving towards him. Zuko’s breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were even more mesmerizing up close. They were like the water, or the moon; so cool and calming, yet so alive with life.

“You have _people_ ,” she insisted. “You have your uncle, and now you have me.” She pulled back. “You’re my favourite barista now – don’t think that this is the last you’ll see of me.”

Zuko tried to hide his smirk by turning to look at the mug in his hand. Just like the first one, his latte art was a disaster. His cheeks flushed, but this time it was with embarrassment.

_Of course, the world would pick now to make him fail at latte art._

“I’m good at this usually.” He glanced up at her. “I swear.”

She leaned over the counter and glanced at the latte art. A wide smile broke out across her face. “It’s a moon.”

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. “Where?”

She leaned forward a bit further and outlined _something_ with her finger. “You see? It’s a crescent moon!”

“It’s spikey,” he pointed out. “The moon isn’t spikey.”

Katara huffed and glanced at him. “What does it look like to you then?”

“Failure.” She gave him an unimpressed look and he turned back to the cup. “Okay, okay, I’m looking.” He tilted his head to the side again and glanced at the white cream patterns. “It looks like a flame.”

“Like… fire?” she questioned.

He shrugged. “Yeah. You see?” He attempted to outline the flame with his finger, but she didn’t see it.

“It looks more like a wave if you’re looking at it like that,” she argued. “And water beats fire, so I think I win.”

He smirked and handed her the mug. “Best two out of three?”

She cocked her eyebrows and pursed her lips. “You think I’m coming back here after this _wonderful_ tasting latte, just to talk to my favourite barista?” She took a quick sip from her cup. He was right when he first seen her – her eyes were definitely sparkling with mirth, like she told a good joke. “You’d be right.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> If you want a prompt fill, send me one on Tumblr! I am pawprinterfanfic over there.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Paw  
> [Find me on Tumblr!](https://pawprinterfanfic.tumblr.com/)


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